MW NOW HAS THE LOOK OF STABILITY AGAIN

Conference shakeup is no longer an issue

LAS VEGAS 
In 2012, the big topic at Mountain West media day was the impending departure of San Diego State and Boise State for the Big East.

San Jose State and Utah State had yet to storm to top-25 finishes, and the conference was contemplating a future without the mighty Broncos.

But what a difference a year can make. Stability, not conference realignment, was the buzzword at this year’s edition of media day.

From the commissioner down to the players, the prevailing sentiment in Las Vegas this week was that the conference might be perched on a precipice of a second period of prosperity.

San Diego State’s Rocky Long is the elder statesman in a league of new teams and young coaches.

Long has been in the Mountain West since the very beginning. When the conference began in 1998, he was New Mexico’s head coach. He has seen the league through its ups and downs and remembers when the Mountain West was respected as a perennial BCS buster.

“There was a time when this league had that reputation,” Long said. “When this league had BYU, Utah and TCU, this league nationally had that reputation … I can remember a team beating the heck out of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl from this league (Utah after the 2008 season), and I remember a team going and winning the Rose Bowl against one of those Big Ten teams (TCU in 2010).

“I think with Boise State staying, and the addition of Utah State and San Jose State and the teams they have coming back, this league is exactly the same.”

As the final year of the BCS looms, the Mountain West has fought its way back to relevance after a couple of down seasons.

With the College Football Playoff system set to begin next year, 2013 presents a good chance for the Mountain West to close out the BCS era with a bang.

Several factors appear to be aligning to help the conference do just that.

The MW renewed its contract with ESPN after an eight-year hiatus, and it will open the season with three teams that finished in the top 25 in 2012.

The league also will get a lot of attention this year because it’s deep in top-caliber quarterbacks.

Fresno State’s Derek Carr, Nevada’s Cody Fajardo, San Jose State’s David Fales and Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton are all on the preseason watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award.

The inaugural conference championship game in December also will help the Mountain West showcase its product.

Everything is aligning to give the new MW the opportunity to reintroduce itself to the football world.

“I think not only this year, but the next three to four years is really going to be telling,” Colorado State coach Jim McElwain said. “The key word is ‘relevant,’ and we really need to make the Mountain West conference relevant.

“My whole deal with the Mountain West is that all of us need to become relevant. We need to really push the envelope. Each individual institution. And not just count on Boise to carry the flag for the league.”

That requires other programs to win games — big games.

“The best thing that could happen is that somebody takes the torch and has that 12-0 or 11-1 year and forces themselves into the conversation where the people who want to ignore you can’t ignore you,” Polian said.